Library Treasure Hunt

Press Print this list for a treasure hunt in the library: ten finds with a box beside each.

Library Treasure Hunt

TeamLibrary and date

  1. Walk and whisper. Other readers are working.
  2. A book you pull out goes back into the same gap, or onto the reshelving cart.
  3. Staff-only doors and desks are not part of the hunt.
  4. A team claims a find only when every member has seen it.
  1. The shelf of films or musicDiscs, or a sign that says how to borrow them online.
  2. A spine label with numbers and a decimal pointA call number in a Dewey library. It tells where the book is shelved.
  3. The returns slotIn the desk or in a wall. Some open to the outside of the building.
  4. A suggestion box or a comment formWhere readers ask for a book the library does not have yet.
  5. A charging spot for phones and laptopsAn outlet strip or a charging table. Spot it.
  6. A book about a country on another continentDewey 910 is geography and travel.
  7. The table of contents in a fact bookNear the front. Read out the name of chapter three.
  8. A wall clock you can see from a reading chairSay how long the visit has lasted so far.
  9. A recipe to try this weekFind it in a cookbook and copy the title and page number onto your sheet.
  10. A bookend holding up the end of a rowA metal or plastic support. Look where a shelf is only half full.

Next step A hunt for the classroomFamily scavenger hunt ideas

How it works

A library treasure hunt needs nothing hidden: the finds are already on the shelves. This list sorts them into six groups, from the catalog to the children's room, and every book goes back where it was.

Read the full guide

Library treasure hunt worksheets, one per team

Press Pick 10 new finds until the list suits your library, then Print this list. Each find prints with a box to tick and its note beneath. The menu under the button narrows the sheet to one group, such as For a class visit.

Nothing leaves its shelf

Finds are claimed by looking. A book pulled out to check a date goes back into the same gap, or onto the reshelving cart. A note that gives a Dewey number says so, because some libraries shelve by another system.

Tips
  • Hide all notes prints a harder sheet: each note becomes a blank line for writing what the team found.

Questions and answers

What are good library treasure hunt ideas for a class?

Finds that teach how a book is laid out and where to ask: a title page, a table of contents, an index, a glossary, the desk to go to. For a class visit holds this set.

Do I have to hide anything?

No. Every find is something a library already has, such as the returns slot, the display of new arrivals or the panel that lists a row's call numbers. A team ticks a find once every member has seen it.

Will the Dewey numbers match my library?

Only if it shelves by Dewey numbers. A few notes name a class, such as 641 for food and drink and 590 for animals, and each note names the Dewey system. Elsewhere, use the shelf signs.

Is the hunt quiet enough for a library?

Yes. Finds are spotted, not shouted: teams walk, whisper and tick boxes. Nothing on the list asks anyone to run, call out or move furniture, and the printed rules say so.

More tools

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All 88 finds

On the shelves 15

  • A book with a clear plastic jacket over its cover The plastic protects the paper jacket. Spot one without pulling it out.
  • A bookend holding up the end of a row A metal or plastic support. Look where a shelf is only half full.
  • A life story of someone born before 1900 In a Dewey library, biography is 920. The dates are often on the cover.
  • A shelf sign that reads Reference Those books stay in the building.
  • A shelf where the call numbers jump to the next hundred In a Dewey library, find where the 500s end and the 600s begin, or any other change of hundred.
  • A spine label with numbers and a decimal point A call number in a Dewey library. It tells where the book is shelved.
  • A spine sticker that shows what kind of story is inside A magnifying glass for mysteries, a rocket for science fiction. Stickers differ from library to library.
  • An atlas too tall for a normal shelf Look for the oversize shelves, where big books lie flat or stand in a row of their own.
Show all 88 finds (80 more)

On the shelves, continued

  • An author whose last name starts with your initial Fiction usually runs A to Z by the author's last name.
  • An encyclopedia set that fills a whole shelf Dewey 030 is encyclopedias and books of facts. Count the volumes.
  • The cookbook shelf In a library that uses Dewey numbers, food and drink is 641.
  • The first and the last author on the fiction shelves Read both last names. One should start near A and the other near Z.
  • Spine stickers that say Large Print Or a sign above the row.
  • Two copies of one title standing together Same title, same author and the same call number on both spines.
  • The world languages section Many libraries keep one. Name a language you spot on a spine or a shelf sign.

At the desk and the catalog 15

  • A cart of books waiting to go back on the shelves If you pulled a book out and lost its place, this cart is where it goes.
  • A librarian's favorite section Ask politely and write the answer down.
  • A poster for something happening here this month A story time, a book club or a class. Read out the day and the time.
  • A printer, copier or scanner that visitors can use Spot it. Nothing needs printing.
  • A suggestion box or a comment form Where readers ask for a book the library does not have yet.
  • The barcode on a library book On the back cover or just inside. The scanner reads it at checkout.
  • The call number of a title you searched for Search the catalog for any title and write its number on your sheet. Bonus point for walking to the shelf it names.
  • The day of the week the library closes earliest Read the hours sign at the entrance or the desk.
  • The display of new arrivals Usually near the entrance, with covers facing out.
  • Instructions for joining the library A form on the desk or a sign near the entrance that says how to get a card.
  • The place where a library card gets scanned A self-checkout machine or the checkout desk.
  • The returns slot In the desk or in a wall. Some open to the outside of the building.
  • The screen where you search the whole collection The catalog. It searches by title, author or subject.
  • The shelf of books that readers have asked for The holds shelf. Each book usually has a paper slip in it.
  • The way this library tells you when a book is due A stamp, a slip or a receipt. Ask a staff member to show you.

In the children's room 15

  • A bin of books sorted by series or reading level The label on the bin says what is inside.
  • A book with a gold or silver seal on its cover The seal marks a prize the book has won.
  • A chapter book series with more than five books Count the matching spines.
  • A chunky book made for babies A board book, made for the youngest readers.
  • A picture book whose cover shows a bear, a rabbit or a mouse Covers facing out on a display count.
  • A puppet, a stuffed animal or a puzzle Look first, and ask before you play.
  • A step stool For the top shelf. Spot it, and let an adult do the reaching.
  • A wordless picture book It tells its whole story in drawings. A staff member can point to one.
  • An alphabet on a wall, a rug or a poster Find the letter your name starts with.
  • Artwork made by children On a wall, a window or a board.
  • The folklore shelf Fairy tales and folk tales. Dewey 398 is folklore.
  • Furniture sized for a four-year-old A low chair or table. Compare it with your own knee.
  • The nonfiction animal shelf in the children's room In a Dewey library, animals are in the 590s.
  • The rug or corner where story time happens Sit down on it to claim the find.
  • The shelf of comics and graphic novels for kids Many libraries give them a shelf of their own.

Signs, maps and quiet corners 15

  • A bulletin board of community notices Lost cats, classes, concerts. Read one aloud, quietly.
  • A charging spot for phones and laptops An outlet strip or a charging table. Spot it.
  • A globe you can spin Find the ocean nearest to where you live.
  • A greeting on the wall in a language other than English On a banner, a door or a screen. Say which language if you can.
  • A plaque with the year the library opened or a donor's name Often near the entrance or in the oldest room.
  • A rack of newspapers or magazines A copy dated today counts double.
  • A sign that asks for quiet Whisper its words to your team.
  • A study room with a door Look through the glass. If it is in use, stay out.
  • A study table with its own lamp or outlet Spot it without disturbing whoever is working there.
  • A wall clock you can see from a reading chair Say how long the visit has lasted so far.
  • A window seat or an armchair made for reading Take a seat to claim the find.
  • A you-are-here map of the library Find the spot that marks where you are standing.
  • An arrow pointing to the restrooms Follow it with your eyes only.
  • The panel at the end of a row that lists its range It shows the first and last call numbers, or letters, in that row.
  • The quietest spot in the building Teams vote. Stand still and listen before you decide.

For a class visit 14

  • A book about a country on another continent Dewey 910 is geography and travel.
  • A book of facts or records Read one fact to your partner.
  • A glossary A short dictionary at the back of a fact book.
  • A magazine written for young readers Look at the date on the cover.
  • A story and a fact book on the same subject A novel with a horse in it and a book of horse facts. Find both in the catalog first.
  • A title page Name the title, the author and the publisher aloud.
  • An audiobook On a disc, on a player or on a sign that says how to borrow one.
  • An author your class has read together Find the name on a spine.
  • An index At the back, in A to Z order. Look up one word and turn to its page.
  • The desk to go to when you cannot find something The reference or information desk. Read its sign.
  • Endpapers or a first page that show a map Adventure stories and travel books are good places to look.
  • The shelf for this term's science topic In a Dewey library, the 500s are science.
  • The sports shelf Dewey 796 is athletic and outdoor sports and games.
  • The table of contents in a fact book Near the front. Read out the name of chapter three.

For a family on a rainy day 14

  • A book about weather In a Dewey library, 551 covers geology, water and weather.
  • A book about your own town, county or state Ask for the local history shelf.
  • A book that shows how to draw or make something Dewey 740 is graphic arts and decorative arts.
  • A childhood favorite of one of the adults The adult tells what they remember of it.
  • A cover with an umbrella, puddles or lightning Any section counts.
  • A jigsaw puzzle or board game to use in the library Many libraries keep some on a table or lend them out.
  • A reading spot big enough for the whole family Everyone sits before it counts.
  • A recipe to try this week Find it in a cookbook and copy the title and page number onto your sheet.
  • A stack with one pick from every family member Borrow them, or put each one on the reshelving cart.
  • A thing the library lends besides books and films Some libraries lend seeds, tools, games or museum passes. Ask at the desk.
  • A title that makes you laugh Whisper it to your team.
  • The joke book shelf Read one joke aloud, quietly.
  • The place where wet things go A coat hook, an umbrella stand or the doormat.
  • The shelf of films or music Discs, or a sign that says how to borrow them online.

How this list was compiled: Written for this site by the Game Night Generator editors on 2026-10-03: original finds for a visit to a public or school library, each with a spotting line. Own work; nothing was copied from another list. Every find is look-only or put-it-back: nothing is taken off a shelf and left somewhere else, and nothing is hidden. The Dewey numbers in the notes (030, 398, 500, 551, 590, 641, 740, 796, 910, 920) were read on 2026-10-03 at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dewey_Decimal_classes. Not every library shelves by Dewey numbers, so each of those notes names the system. Levels are the editors' judgment. Licence: own work